The present invention relates to the manufacture of semiconductor related devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved techniques for manufacturing semiconductor related devices.
In the manufacture of certain types of semiconductor devices, at various times semiconductor devices may be placed in process modules for etching, deposition, polishing, etc. With the small tolerances required in today's semiconductor chips or flat panel displays, various sensors may be required to monitor the process module.
Some sensors may be separated from the process module, where the process module is driven by a first computing system and the sensor is driven by a second computing system, where the first computing system and the second computing system do not exchange data in real time. Synchronization of information between the process module and separate sensors may be difficult. In addition the exchange of data between the process module and separate sensors may be difficult.
Some sensors may be connected to the process module. These sensors could either have their own computing systems that are directly connected to the process module or they may use the computing system of the process module as their computing system. Such sensors can exchange data with the process module in real time. Often different sensors have different protocols. For each sensor the computing system of the process module would be programmed to comply with the protocol of the sensor, possibly requiring the creation of a different driver for each sensor. Each driver might require the specification of many commands, such as commands to signal an alarm, stop the process module, and to indicate when various process steps are initiated or discontinued. In addition, different sensors may generate different types of data so that the driver might need to specify how the process module would use the specific type of data from the sensor. The creation of a driver for each sensor is time consuming, possibly taking as much as one man year. If the process module manufacturer does not take the time to create a driver for a particular sensor the user might not be able to use that sensor with the process module. In addition, even if a driver exists for a sensor, the user may have to perform various steps to install a driver in a process module and specify specific data to be sent to or received from a sensor. To remove the sensor from the process module, a user may need to perform additional programming steps, such as removing a driver and deleting commands for information to be sent to or received from a sensor.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a processing system, such as a process module that can be connected to a plurality of sensors, wherein the processing system does not need to be programmed to match various protocols of various sensors. It is desirable to provide a processing system that allows an integration of sensors into the process module that allows the sensors to exchange information with the processing system with minimal additional programming.